Page 68 of Yours, Forever

Eva: sorry, gotta go. Another straggler came in

Max: I'll be back home in time to help you with dinner

The smile on my lips as a result of our texting could only be a good sign.

Chapter 20

Eva

Max's friends were lovely.After their day at the beach, Max had brought them over to our place to rest while he and I made dinner. They insisted on helping us, and we all worked together making a simple ravioli and roasted veggies meal, and setting up the table in which we barely fit.

We made it work. Every morsel was finished, including dessert, but we all sat together drinking the rest of the wine Max had served for everyone, chatting away. Apparently, this was what sobremesa was like.

Despite the Latine influence in Laguna Island, I hadn't grown up with much sobremesa in my life. If it could be like this, I could come to love it.

"So the poor kid starts trembling right there, on the stage in front of everyone," Gabe said. "The rest of the group is waiting for the sign to start, but all the kid could do was stare at the crowd, mouth agape."

"It must have been terrible for him," Lina added.

They were recounting some of the activities they’d experienced at the summer festival; as was tradition, local music groups performed the opening acts. One of the highlights had been one of the vocalists freezing up.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The town started clapping. You know, encouragingly," Max explained. "One of his bandmates came to help him, and it calmed him down. Once the music started…"

"It was like they were in a trance." Jake smiled. "Music can be like that."

Vi gave him a look that sparked my curiosity. It held a certain wistfulness, mixed with affection and restraint.

When I gazed at Max in an unconscious request for verification, he winked at me and mouthed,Yes, I'll tell you more soon.

"So this happens every summer?" Javier asked.

I sipped from my wine. "Yes. We do a lot during the summer, enjoying the slightly less rainy weather and the sunny days. We also do a lot for Christmas, usually. Once upon a time we also had a huge New Year's party, but it hasn't happened in years because of budget reasons. Everyone thought Christmas was the bigger deal, so we stuck to it."

"You know what?" Max curled an arm around my back. I shouldn't like small gestures like that so much. "That could be a thing for the town. You know how you want it to become a tourist destination? Having these festivals could be part of it."

I nodded. "When Luke and his siblings get the pub and distillery going, and we have a restaurant or two more... when we have a place or two where people can stay..."

"Something tells me we're going to visit again." Lina smiled my way.

Maybe, several years down the line, Max would come visit the town and bring his friends along.

"It must have been great growing up here," Jake said.

"I loved it for sure, but small-town living isn't for everyone. Lots of people don't like it. Many people have left through the years; half my school friends are long gone, for example. In fact, my parents left because they hated living here."

Max studied me.

"Oh, your parents are not around?" Gabe asked.

I shook my head. "No. They moved away when I turned eighteen."

I wished the dull pain of it didn't come up every time I talked about it, but it did. Subdued after all this time, but still there. Of all the people that had left, their departure stung the most.

They must have sensed my feelings from my voice, because there was an extra-long pause.

"That sounds... lonely," Max said.